This Bradenton, FL band has been around since 2007 as one of the modern breed of pop-punk acts, with their hyper-produced, relentlessly upbeat rock sound. As we've had this kind of sound represented at Mistletunes before, like the Punk Goes Christmas collection, I thought I knew what was coming from these guys. Well, I was wrong. They apparently prepped for this disc by gorging on their Bob Marley and Jimmy Buffett records. Almost everything here is reggae and calypso influenced, with steel drums and ukelele widely featured. Anna Marie Island is featured on a bouncy "Silent Night," Elena Coats duets on a slow-reggae treatment of "Baby It's Cold Outside," and it's more of the same through covers of "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)," "Jingle Bells," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," O Holy Night," and "Little Drummer Boy." The band pitches in two originals by singer Travis Clark, the piano ballad "There is a Light" in which the tropical sounds are shelved in favor of piano and strings to support a child's anticipation of Santa's arrival, and the reggae "One People," a sort of successor to Marley's "One Love" in its call for unity and understanding, with a few pointed references to today's disadvantaged groups. Don't know if their fans will react to this as an attempt to pander to the "dad rock" demographic, but I'm always open to tropical Christmas music myself, especially since I just experienced a three-hour commute in five inches of snow right before I wrote this review. Currently only on iTunes or streaming services, but I'll link to Amazon if it turns up there. UPDATE: Now on Amazon, click the album cover.
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